Hopes for the semester

Well, here we go again. This semester marks our fifth semester that is considerably impacted by COVID-19. Since then, there have been so innumerable changes to our community, and we have all shown tremendous adaptability to these changes. Due to our extraordinarily high vaccination rates, booster mandates and a rigorous COVID-19 testing site, it appears […]

The Black Action Plan collaborates with DCL on first-year rooming survey

The Black Action Plan— a student-run group creating structural change on campus to increase equity for BIPOC students— is collaborating with the Department of Community Living (DCL) to make changes to the first-year roommate matching process, according to a post on the Black Action Plan’s Instagram page.  The Black Action Plan posted on their Instagram […]

Taking stock: A look into the polaris lounge fridge

The variety found within the C-store holds nothing on the sheer volume of food found within the refrigerator in North Quad’s Polaris Lounge. On Dec. 12, 2021, I conducted an investigation into the contents of the Polaris kitchen. Here are the results, and this is what they reveal about us. (Full disclosure: for health and […]

Keeping the magic alive: ‘Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts’

I have to start off by saying that I did not realize that “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” was a series of interviews, as opposed to a short film/something along those lines. However, that did not take away from the magic of the experience of watching the reunion.  Harry Potter was huge when […]

Women’s Ultimate Frisbee made history during their fall season

Banshee, the Brandeis Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, made history this fall by making it to nationals, which were held in Norco, California from Dec. 17 to Dec. 20. Adding to the sweetness of this feat, they placed 10th at the competition. The team was led by captains Eve “Echo” Robinson ’22 and Allie “Fresca” Mundis […]

A letter to our nemesis

First, I would like to start off with a formal apology. It was never the intent of myself nor the rest of The Hoot (™) staff to make you feel like you were in a one-sided relationship. Believe me, been there, done that and I know it’s awful so we are truly sorry for making […]

‘Emily in Paris’ season 2: The bad and the, surprisingly enough, not-as-bad

When I watched the Netflix series “Emily in Paris” last year, I thought it couldn’t actually get much worse than what I saw. Besides Emily’s (Lily Collins) fantastic outfits and the very pretty Paris scenery, there aren’t a whole lot of good things in this show. For those who aren’t yet aware, “Emily in Paris” […]

Track and field Dec. 4 season opener

On Dec. 4, track and field began their 2021-2022 season at Springfield College, ending the day with several victories and other second-place finishes.  The Brandeis track and field team saw two victories in the 200-meter dash during the event. One of these victories was Reese Farquhar ’22, who won the event with a time of […]

‘The Book of Boba Fett’ was worth the wait

The character Boba Fett has fascinated Star Wars fans for years since his relatively minor role in the original trilogy, his expanded origins in the prequels and recurring appearances in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Forty-four years after his first-ever appearance in the otherwise maligned 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special—and yes, that is where Fett […]

Univ. moves first two weeks of classes online, changes policies for spring 2022

Classes will be held remotely until Feb. 1, with students having the option to move in up until Jan. 31, according to an email sent by Ron Liebowitz, President, Carol A. Fierke, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stew Uretsky, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Raymond Lu-Ming Ou, Vice President […]

Study abroad during a pandemic

Going into this year studying abroad in Paris, I was very aware of the potential drawbacks being that we are still quite in the middle of a pandemic. By contrast, and much to my surprise, my first few months here were absolutely splendid. Masks were used in public spaces, and people were still in the […]

Midnight Buffet was a flop

In early December the Student Union held Midnight Buffet, a large-scale late-night event with a variety of food options for Brandeis students. Unfortunately, this event occurred after our last publication of the semester, so I was unable to criticize it until now. But I, as well as many other students I have heard from in […]

Univ. to require COVID-19 vaccine booster by Jan. 25

All members of the Brandeis community will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster by Jan. 25 or as soon as they become eligible, according to an email sent by Carol A. Fierke, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Stew Uretsky, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Raymond Ou, Vice […]

Women’s basketball plays close games

Before going on winter break, the Brandeis women’s basketball team played two games at home against Bridgewater State University and Eastern Nazarene College. The first game was against Bridgewater St. on Dec. 2. The Judges had very even scores throughout the team in the first quarter, as no player had over three points. Guard Tathiana […]

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’: A super enjoyable two-and-a-half hour long callback

*Spoilers ahead: I recommend not reading until you watch it!   Like the rest of the world, I have joined in the Spider-Man renaissance. Throughout winter break I spent my days in between work and studying watching every Spider-Man movie, preparing for what I knew was going to be an amazing combination of the live-action […]

‘Weather Girl’ will cure rainy day blues

As all great romance novels do, “Weather Girl” by Rachel Lynn Solomon revolves around hijinks. The scheme is simple: meteorologist Ari Abrams and sports reporter Russell Barringer team up to “parent trap” their bosses, Torrance and Seth. Torrance and Seth used to be married before a nasty divorce that led to fighting in the workplace, […]